The Chamber’s Partnerships With Others Helps Yield Results
Published in the May 17 – May 30, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life
By Tammy Brownlow
Tammy Brownlow
“There’s no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” That was the message on a plaque that hung in my office for a number of years, passed on to me by my friend and mentor as I began my career in economic development more than 20 years ago. While the original quote is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, it has been used by many leaders over the years, including U.S. presidents.
It makes me think of the working partnerships we have here in Gilroy. The GEDC, along with the city of Gilroy, Chamber of Commerce, Welcome Center and Downtown Business Association have a long history of collaboration that yields results. This was recently apparent at a visioning exercise focused on the downtown.
Participants from the above organizations and other downtown stakeholders gathered to refine a vision and identify top priorities for accomplishing revitalization of downtown. This cross-functional collaboration will be key to success as efforts in business attraction, promotions, safety, infrastructure, hardscape and other goals are tackled.
The GEDC partners with organizations not only at the local level, but on a regional and state-wide basis. The GEDC provides leadership to the Central Coast Marketing Team. Through this association, the GEDC is able to represent the city at trade shows and other marketing events to recruit new companies to Gilroy. Another regional group is the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance, which provides a forum for sharing of information and best practices, as well as marketing opportunities.
At the state level, the GEDC works with Team CA on marketing and business attraction. Team CA is the lead agency in coordinating the state’s marketing efforts with collaboration from all communities. The CA Governor’s Office of Economic Development is another important partner in our attraction efforts.
Companies seeking a California business location often contact GoED for assistance with searches for business locations. The GoED staff will work with the company to identify a region that best suits their needs and issue a Request for Information, allowing all communities in the region to respond with sites and community information that addresses important issues pertaining to the property, infrastructure, utilities, workforce availability, and incentives.
The GEDC also benefits from the support and collaboration of our private sector partners. Our organization was created in 1996 through efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and city of Gilroy to address a need in the community — an organization that focused on economic development. Without this foresight and leadership many of the businesses you see today would not exist.
The GEDC has been instrumental in creating the retail sector that provides our city with sales tax revenues each year as well as many of the jobs in our manufacturing and service industries. Our private sector partners are an essential part of maintaining this balance with public sector partners.
The bottom line is this: We all benefit from a prosperous and productive community, but none of us can do this alone. It’s all about team work and collaboration; and at the end of the day “there’s no limit to what can be accomplished . . .”
For more information on the activities of the GEDC and resources to assist your business, contact our office at (408) 847-7611 or email [email protected].
Tammy Brownlow is the president of the GEDC. For more information, contact her at (408) 847-7611 or email [email protected].
